The uneven terrain threatened to make her trip at any moment. The once modern asphalt was now beyond recognition, impregnated with a green, musky layer that grossly adhered to her soles.
“I hope we’re done here already,” Serenity muttered as she reunited with three hooded silhouettes. She got close to the smallest of the three, who maintained their gaze forward.
“I’m hungry. You?” the short figure spoke softly.
Serenity replied, sighing. “I’d kill for a cheeseburger… Which I hate admitting, you know. I loathe having these cravings.”
“Really? I thought that out of the five, you’d be the one to fully embrace these human-like ‘features’.”
Serenity grunted. “I think you’re mistaking me for somebody else.” She then looked at the tallest of the group, who was twirling in their place, arms wide open.
“So?! What do you think of my masterpiece, my fellow comrades? Are you so agape by the results that you cannot fathom how to express your awe? Have I left you speechless with the sheer brilliance of my latest work?! Oww, it's a pity that Delta is not here so I could shove it in her face on how to properly dispose of a city!"
“I think you messed it up!” the one by Serenity’s side said aloud.
“P-Pardon me?”
“I said that you blew it this time, Gamma! You went too far this time! No one would want to live in a city after this!”
Hearing that made Serenity look around. The atmosphere felt dense and greasy. She could hardly imagine how breathing that toxicity would affect her without Alpha’s protection, what she was sure of was that her fake lungs would burn rapidly. Even the sky had turned pitch black and electric. And most notorious of all, every single building in a five-miles radius had gone, or better said, melted completely.
Not a single human construct was standing, leaving only a barren terrain full of thousands of molten piles of unrecognizable stuff… With the exception of a 30-feet translucent lotus flower at the epicenter of the disaster zone. Glowing green and full of energy, it constantly pulsated, as if its job to make that place as uninhabitable as possible was not done yet.
The woman previously called Gamma turned back and started speaking in a low, raspy voice. “I knew you wouldn’t be capable of appreciating such beauty, brat.” She then locked eyes with Serenity. “But what about you, Beta? Do you like what you see?”
Serenity first glanced at the fourth member, who had their back facing them, before crossing her arms and lifting her chin in a proud manner. “It gives me the chills, honestly. A most advanced version of what you were capable of back in the day, eh? Truly fascinating.”
“I knew you wouldn’t disappoint.” Gamma snickered. The only feature visible beneath her black hood was her green-painted smirk.
“Does this mean we’re finally done?” The one beside Serenity said, placing their hands behind their nape. “Are we done toying with cities? Because, seriously! If the Administrators ignore even THIS, I don’t know what else could move their lazy asses!”
The fourth member, their leader, turned around and spoke in a distinctly feminine voice, “Oh, they’ll act. I bet on it.” She then strolled all the way back to hold the smallest of the group by the cheeks. “You asked why people would want to keep living in cities like this despite the danger, hmm? The answer is simple, my dear… Even if the Administrators enforce their most egregious, terrible update ever, these Users would receive it with open arms! Just look at history! Humans will always prioritize a comfy, cozy life over their own freedom. People easily forget if their leaders were corrupt in the prior cycle, or tyrants, or plain fools if that means they can have an easy, free-of-thought life.”
“The Administrators could literally turn rain into piss and these fools would just say thanks,” Gamma added in a playful tone before making some distance between them and continuing twirling and dancing on her own in front of her gigantic lotus flower.
Serenity returned her attention to the other two.
“Did this clear your doubts, Epsy?” the leader asked, her hands still holding her partner-in-crime’s face. When the other simply replied with a shrug, she giggled. “Good boy.” She drew a short smile before sealing her lips for a moment. “Beta? Is that a drone camera I feel nearby?”
“I’ve already dealt with that,” Serenity responded, turning to her right, where a huge humanoid made of black goo with arms as big as a gorilla approached them at a rapid pace. The thing then threw two persons at Serenity’s feet, a man and a young woman, whose skin looked putrid and greenish, and their HP bar was showing the dangerous red threshold.
The woman raised her head and offered a faint smile. “H-Hi, everyone! What a terrible thing that happened to this place, huh? We were just passing by and before we noticed--cough--we breathed too much of that poisonous gas! But you seem to be in good health, am I right? Sorry to ask, but--cough--do you happen to have an antidote by any chance?”
Something heavy crashed against the ground between them, a round metallic object that began to corrode immediately.
“Is that yours?” Serenity asked the two while a winged creature resembling a crow nested on her shoulder.
The woman shrugged, smirking. “Maybe? So what? Afraid that I may have recorded you? It's not as if you were the ones behind this catastrophe, right?”
“That thing was surely streaming,” the one previously called Epsy said quietly.
Gamma chuckled from a distance. “Doesn’t matter. That thing was too far away. I’m sure it didn’t pick up any audio.”
The leader of the group stood in front of the two forcibly kneeling on the ground and spoke in a soothing tone, “Take a closer look at this, everyone. This whole area has become a biohazard, and yet, these two didn’t care about their safety at all. Why?” She crouched and looked the couple directly in the eyes. She could see that the skin of their forehead was beginning to peel off, revealing a pinkish fragment of their skull. “Is it because you’ll die in a matter of minutes and respawn back in one of your beloved Safe Zones anyway?”
The captive woman glared. “What about you? Would you like to explain to my audience why you’re attacking cities? I may bring another camera if you’re finally in the mood to talk!”
“I’m done with you.” The leader of the group sighed, turned her back and gestured something to Serenity, who nodded.
The woman coughed violently but did not deter her from yelling. “Now what?!--cough--Do you think you can continue doing this forever?! If the Moderators don’t get you, the people will! The community is getting tired of your shit! They will come for you, mark my words!”
“Hey. Eyes here,” Serenity whispered as she stood in front of the woman, blocking her view. “She’s the least of your worries now, okay?” Serenity then snickered. “You know? I happen to know your face. You’re Nelly Cole, from the Daily Londorus…”
Nelly focused her gaze on the white-haired woman while trying to forget the painful venom running through her entire body. “So?”
“You’ve been covering these disasters since the very beginning, am I right? You were there, covering the news when my cute dragon leveled your precious city… It seems you’ve been trying to get us for a while now.”
Nelly’s assistant quivered by her side. “So you really are the responsibles for this!” he cried, trying to stand up and grab Serenity by the collar of her cloak, but he dropped back to his knees in a second, coughing violently.
Serenity continued speaking, undeterred, “Tomorrow morning, I want you to quit your job as a reporter.”
“Make me!” Nelly replied snarling before finally noticing that something was wrong. She looked down, finding that the ground had become something akin to black quicksand that quickly turned into goo. Her assistant was sinking too, without resisting.
Nelly swallowed hard. Something about the coldness of that black substance told her that it would not kill her… And she needed to die so she could escape from this group of psychos! But as the black swamp covered her all the way to her neck, she knew that it was too late to even try biting her tongue.
“Welcome to the other side, Nelly Cole and company,” Serenity said almost lovingly as most of Nelly’s face got covered by the darkness. “You’re one of us now…”
***
**
*
Marco Souza got out of bed first and fetched himself a drink. His defined, exposed muscles were bathed in bluish light as he got close to the window. Outside, the city of Fleurella slept, but for him, his day was barely beginning.
“What is it, my lord? Can’t we have a second round?” a woman asked behind him.
He cringed his teeth. He hated being called ‘Lord’ after leaving Londorus behind, and he especially loathed the situation he had just gotten into. Although she’s not a bad partner to pass the time or for me to indulge in these kinds of… ‘pleasures,’ everything goes south when she opens her trap.
Marco turned around to see Karen Svensson sitting at the edge of the bed, wearing delicate see-through lingerie. Her eyes still gleaming with passion.
“Sorry, my dear…” he began, “but she should be here any moment now.”
Karen exhaled loudly. “Seriously? Is it time--” A knock on the door interrupted her. She checked the hour in her User Interface and snickered. “Wow. Like clockwork.”
If that’s the least offensive thing Karen can comment about her, that means these stress-relief sessions are working.
Marco cleared his throat before speaking. “That’s right. She is. Didn’t you say she’s quite committed?”
Karen stopped dressing herself with the help of her Inventory window to snark. “Yeah, I said that. Committed as a puppy, you know. Always fetching, always wagging her tail. I bet she could even learn to roll over and play dead if I told her it’d help her channel mana faster. Seriously, where did you get her?”
“Karen…”
Karen raised her palms aloft. “I know, I know. I’ll be on my way already.” She put on her clothes first with a push of a virtual button, kissed Marco on the lips, and opened the door to find a pink-haired girl wearing a mage robe and leather boots outside.
“Ms. Svensson,” the girl said quietly. “Is Marco…?”
“It’s all yours,” Karen said dismissively as she stepped aside, but whispered in the girl’s ear first, “Figuratively speaking, of course. Got it?”
And with that, Karen crossed the hallway with her hands inside her jacket’s pockets.
“Hurry up, Barbara. Close the door,” Marco demanded.
Barbara obeyed and made a curtsy. “Good night, Marco.”
“Level 61, huh? Not bad… Before starting, Karen told me she taught you the ‘Silent as a Grave’ spell. Can you do the honors tonight, please? Build a bubble big enough to cover this entire apartment.” He paused to use his ‘Eye of the Sage’ on the girl to inspect her mana rank. “With your current power, you should be able to do it.”
“Of course, Marco. Give me a minute, please.”
Marco used that little break, the only one he would have for the rest of the night, to visit his fridge. There were a lot of smoothies, juice blends, and sushi rolls that Karen had left from previous nights, but nothing of his selection, save for a plate of blue cheese slices. When Karen found them, she said, “I think something’s rotting here,” and was about to throw it away before getting scolded.
He took the plate and chomped on a slice while his gaze focused on the sink in front of him. Would the one that introduced me to this midnight snack be a better accomplice than Karen? He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. Too bad I’ll never find out, huh?
“Silent as a Grave successfully cast, Marco,” Barbara informed from the center of the room. “Is it okay to start now?”
“Grab a cushion,” he said, gesturing where to place it. When the two sat on the floor and their gaze were at the same level, he offered her a slice of cheese.
“Thanks, but no. I already had ramen with Faiza.”
“How’s Faiza as a teacher? Better than Karen?”
“To be honest, although strict, I prefer Karen. Faiza is too informal.”
I didn’t expect that.
“I see…” he murmured, trying to prolong that moment for as long as possible. But she sucks even for small talk.
Marco stared at Barbara’s eyes, knowing what was hiding behind them. Something inhumane and cold. Something he could barely comprehend. Just a few days ago, I thought she was not that different from the fridge, a few feet away. But now? She seems like the depths of the ocean…
He glanced down at his hands. Were they shaking?
No way. If there’s someone who can endure this, it’s me. Freaking me.
“Ready?” he said in a raspy voice.
“I could wait until you finish your dinner.” She looked at the plate, but Marco shook his head.
“I’m already full. Let’s do this.”
“What would you like to check tonight?”
“Let’s continue with security footage, but this time from inside the Cryo Chambers.”
She said nothing more and closed her eyes, remaining with her legs crossed and a relaxed expression on his face, unlike Marco’s, that looked in pain.
Come on, you fool. This is nothing.
“Dark Conjure…” He began channeling as he stretched out his hand to hold Barbara’s. “Slumbermare.”
+++
++
+
Marco: [ There was nothing suspicious in the Alvearium’s security footage, nor from the ones of the Santa María. So that means that whoever loaded the Singular virus into the ship must have done it from inside a Cryo-pod… At least that’s my current theory for now. ]
Isabella / Barbara: [ Are you going to review the footage of every single passenger? ]
Marco: [ Answer this first… Do passengers’ faces change as they sleep? ]
Isa / Barb: [ During regular REM sleep, rapid and random eye movements can occur. These eye movements can indeed influence facial expressions. But inside the Cryo Chamber, all passengers go through a term known as Perpetual Rem State, so for the majority of this voyage, their faces never change, save for some occasions. During my observation, I’ve noticed that every passenger has winced at least 15 to 50 times since their connection with the Novus started. And with the passage of time, the number of passengers that go through this phenomenon has reduced drastically to 15% of the overall population. ]
Marco: [ So… We can infer that this ‘wincing’ occurs when a User dies inside the Novus. That’ll explain why it has gone down with time, since not all of the Novus’ community kept leveling up, and subsequently, expose themselves to dangerous situations… ]
I usually am not this wordy… But here, inside Isabella’s digital mind, it wouldn't matter if I’m this verbose for information travels so fast and efficiently that I could recite the entirety of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in less than a couple of minutes… I bet Isabella could do it in a matter of seconds.
Isa / Barb: [ Knowing this, what are you looking for? ]
Marco: [ The moment the Singular entered the Cryo-Chambers and spread itself. I want to see if someone reacts erratically during that short time frame. ]
Isa / Barb: [ I thought the same, so I have already checked. Since the Singular provoked a power shortage, the cameras stopped working for ten seconds. By the time the cameras turned on again, the large majority of the passengers went through some sort of reaction. ]
Marco: [ I need to see it regardless. Commence with our lists of suspects, from A to D. Then the rest in numerical order. ]
Isa / Barb: [ Understood. Commencing reproduction… ]
The mind of the real Barbara is no more, and only Isabella remains… That means that through my Slumbermare, I’ve managed to access a sort of ‘Super Computer’ that shouldn’t exist here inside The Novus… A computer that has stored all the Security Footage and data that I could wish for before getting isolated off its mainframe.
As for my list of suspects, it goes like this:
List A: Every User with mental issues. Although Alverearium Enterprise’s selection of candidates was quite strict, some wackos managed to enter through… influences.
List B: The millionaires, the celebrities, those academics that used all of their brain power to convince the board of directors to have a guaranteed spot aboard. I wonder what they are doing right now since only a handful of them have made a name in the Novus.
List C: People directly involved with Alvearium Enterprise. If a janitor from Kintech managed to board the Santa María, they’re on my list. Astrid Bradford, and my old pal Alan Warden are here.
List D: Users related to Alvearium Enterprise’s employees. Parents, spouses, sons, daughters, and cousins… Amelia Laflamme is on this list among many others I personally know. I didn’t know her father and uncle worked at Caelum. Interesting…
And the last one, List E, is composed of the people responsible for creating the Cryo Chambers. ‘Isabella’s Naughty List’… Everything points to one of them working with the Singular and leaving a backdoor behind that could be abused. They may not be inside the ship, but they may be a key to uncovering this mystery…
+
++
+++
They took a break two Novus’ hours later. Marco then immediately ran all the way to the restroom and slammed the door shut. The next thing Barbara could hear were sickly and guttural noises.
“Are you okay, Marco?” she asked from the other side of the door while Marco wiped filth off his mouth with the reverse of his hand.
Even with an enhanced, virtual body… the brain still dictates how to feel…
“I’ll be with you in a minute!”
“Marco… We could continue tomorrow.”
“No! We still have 2 hours left! 4 hours of work. That was our deal!”
“Understood.”
I don’t need the sympathy of a machine!
With renewed fervor, Marco washed his face at the sink where he could watch his reflection in a mirror. Only I can do this. Only I can endure this. This is nothing.
“This is nothing…” he murmured to himself.
***
**
*
|
Meanwhile, in a High-Level Raid Dungeon… |
Rita Carter challenged her concept of beauty after watching Astrid Bradford fight the 164-feet dragon. As Titan Hunter’s heavy hitter and Carry, Rita had always strived to be the best, constantly sharpening her skills and instincts, always getting the best gear… In short, she always tried to be as efficient in killing as possible.
She hated watching Battle Streams. For her, Users on camera could not be themselves, for they were always trying to impress their audience, striking cool poses or making unnecessary movements. She loathed that.
“Those aren’t true warriors,” she would often say every time one of her guild partners tried to show her the last viral video.
But this time, for the first time since she knew how to use a dagger, she understood what perfection could look like.
It only took three times battling the beast for Astrid to learn all of its attack patterns and finally challenge it solo. Her opponent was Dracoestrul, The Dragon Keeper of the Secret Teachings.
The magnificent mythical was infamous for his high Spirit ranking which allowed it to spam an extended amount of different offensive spells. And worst of all, it had the ‘Mana Drain’ skill. A successful raid against this boss demanded a considerable number of mages that could deflect and shield their team from Dracoestrul’s constant barrage of fire breaths and magic attacks and be aware that the monster could absorb their magical energy at any time. This is when a strike team would go into play. Taking advantage that Dracoestrul became vulnerable for a short amount of time, Users with high Vitality and Attack had to deal as much damage as possible at melee range.
And Astrid learned to do the two jobs on her own…
The Epic-tier staff in her left hand was something anybody could afford eventually. This one in particular, had been crafted by the Shooting Stars’ weaponsmith, with its Durability stat maxed out. A generic 90-level mage staff with an unimpressive name: ‘Grand Magus Staff’. And yet, with it, Astrid cast magic shields effortlessly and countered spells that deviated any incoming fireball or electric attack.
On her right fist, she wielded an Epic-tier item too, an oversized gauntlet that could squish the head of a grown man easily. Every time Dracoestrul tried to absorb Astrid’s mana, she would charge immediately and punch the dragon in the chest as hard as she could.
It took Rita three days to realize that something was off with the Golden Comet’s battle style.
“Do you see that, Ben? Normally, the dragon would use the stolen mana to charge its ultimate, but every single time it seems to fail. As if…”
“...Astrid didn’t have any mana to steal. I know.”
Benjamin yawned, making Rita frown.
“Since when do you know about this?” she asked.
“Didn’t you see my face when I saw her charge on her own the first time?”
“I thought you two were super close.”
“I’m closer to her First Officer… If you know what I mean.”
“Shut up.”
Benjamin sighed. “So what? Are you saying she’s cheating somehow?”
“Even if she was… I can’t avert my eyes from her. She doesn’t dodge; she blocks. She doesn’t run; she dashes forward. She doesn’t attack to lower the dragon’s HP; she strikes to kill… Defend and attack, block and strike, time and time again without making a single mistake. Sometimes, she doesn’t even look human. She’s more than that…”
“I get you,” Benjamin said as he crossed his arms. Watching Rita’s gaze fixated on the battle made him chuckle. “What do you think, then?”
“About what?”
“What we’ve been discussing.”
Rita turned to him, eyes wide open. “What? Do you want to do it now?”
“I’d make it official once we return to Londorus, but yes. I want her to answer now. But before I commit to it, tell me, am I nuts?”
“I thought you were joking when you told me about it last week, but now, seeing what she’s capable of…” Rita crossed eyes with him. “So yes, I support you. I’m in. And I promise you to kick the ass of anyone that may question your decision.”
“Wow! You have no idea how relieved I feel hearing you say that!" He whistled while bending down as if he was catching his breath.
“Are you going to be okay? Don’t you want to think it through? Maybe talk to the guild first.”
“No. No. This is what I want. Really.”
They turned their gazes back to the battlefield just in time to see the dragon turn into vanishing, gleaming pixels. Astrid reunited with them shortly after, carrying a large purple crystal the size of a basketball, a bone as long as her height on her shoulder, and a claw between her right armpit. Her usually golden, shining hair was covered by a darkish shade of blood.
“Take a look at this, guys!” Astrid’s dirty face lit up. “It dropped three materials this time. Cool, init?”
Rita stared at Benjamin until he noticed it, as if she was saying, ‘come on then, say it to her now’.
But Benjamin only chuckled. “G-Great! We’re closer to our goal! Are you hungry?”
***
This has been their routine for the last few days. Killing the dragon, resting, waiting for the monster to respawn, and start the cycle once again every 8 hours. It was repetitive, the waiting was tedious, and in the words of Astrid: “Quite relaxing, huh? This totally feels like a camping trip!”
Hearing that, Rita wondered if Astrid never had the time to sit down and rest. But asking her directly about it? Nu-uh. That was too much. At least, hearing that coming from one of the best fighters in all The Novus, makes me feel as if we’re doing something truly worthwhile.
“We’re low in water,” Astrid said quietly. “I may have to make a little trip to the nearest town. Do you guys want me to bring you something else? Any cravings?”
“Isn’t Galatov like, 40 miles from here? I can go,” Ben said, standing up. “You stay here, rest and heal up.”
“But…”
“I said I’ll do it,” Benjamin insisted sternly. “It’s not as if you need us around anyway.”
Those words made Astrid lower her gaze, which prompted Rita to alert her Guild Master in silence. Benjamin noticed it and cleared her throat. “I-I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re right,” Astrid said softly, her eyes fixed on the bonfire in front of her. “Being here must be extremely boring to you. I’m sorry.”
Rita raised her hand as if she was in a class. “If you ask me, I’ve learned a lot from you. So I don’t mind hanging out. What about you, Ben?” She looked him directly in the eyes, asking him to lighten the mood.
Benjamin returned to his sitting spot and crossed his legs. “Astrid? Can I ask you something? You’re not doing this because of that wacko streamer that challenged you, are you? There’s something else…”
Astrid sipped from his coffee thermo first. “Maybe? It’s just that… something tells me that this period of peace we’ve been enjoying it’s coming to an end, Ben. The first sign came in the form of that two-headed dragon that attacked Londorus…”
Rita wrinkled her forehead in disbelief. What kind of conversation was that? Why did that have to do with anything?
“What do you mean, Comet?” Rita asked, giggling nervously, waiting for Astrid to reveal that she was joking, but the blonde’s gloomy attitude did not change.
Benjamin then gestured to Rita to be quiet. “I didn’t want to inform you until we got out of the cave, but,” he continued, “there was another attack. In Italina.”
“I see…”
“Tell me, Astrid. Is this all related?”
“I think so. Yes.”
“Is there something you know that you can share with us?”
“I don’t have the proof. But that won’t stop me from getting stronger. All of us should strive to do so in the near future. We have to be prepared. That’s what I’m sure of.”
“And when the time comes?”
“I’ll do everything in my power to stop it…”
Benjamin gazed at Rita before chuckling. “All right then! That’s what I wanted to hear.” He then kneeled in front of Astrid like a knight would. Rita did it too, immediately.
“What are you doing?” Astrid asked, astonished. “P-Please, stand up! A Guild Master should never--!”
Benjamin chuckled. “If you really believe that all of us should be stronger, then let’s do it together! What I mean to say is that I’m swearing my allegiance to you, Astrid Bradford. Let’s form a more powerful guild that can save the Novus community… as a team.”
Astrid pursed her lips and stood up, towering over him. “Are you sure about this, Benjamin Woods?”
“Yes. Please, accept the Titan Hunters under your ranks.”
“If you really mean it, I have two conditions. First, you’ll be my First Officer...”
“About that… I don’t want Tamara to…”
“Deal?”
“Sure. All right. And the second one?”
“The Shooting Stars’ guild name remains the same. That would be all.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“Raise, then, Shooting Stars’ First Officer. You too, Rita Carter.”
When the two new members of the guild rose up, they saw Astrid’s eyes watering down and a trembling smile crossing her face. The blonde then dashed and hugged Benjamin.
“I promise not to do something that’d make you regret this. I swear!” She quickly stepped back and embraced Rita too. “Let’s grow stronger! Together!”
Rita could not remember the last time someone hugged her like that… In a genuine manner. Holding her tears, Rita whispered, “Yeah. Let’s do this.”
***
**
*
But before the Shooting Stars and the Titan Hunters guilds merged, something else happened in the city of Aarmus three nights ago.
Something quite uneventful.
Bill Warren was watching the stars from the rooftop of a recently built house. His one hundred NPCs were resting all around the construction site, sleeping, drinking coffee or simply sitting in benches and logs, sharing silence.
Bill then heard the sound of footsteps approaching and sighed. Was that one of the residents wanting to ask when they would finish constructions for the tenth time that day? But as he continued hearing, he noticed that those steps were oddly calculated. Almost as those from NPCs… and yet, not quite the same at the same time.
Curious, he looked down to find a petite girl of brown hair looking up at him. Her eyes were green and glowing with light of their own and seemed to scan his face over and over again.
“Bill Warren,” she called him. It was not a question. She knew him.
“Yeah?” he asked cautiously.
“I have come to check on your progress. You have not forgotten about it, have you? Prompt Engineer?”
